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"Everyone has been beaming from ear to ear since we got here. We're just ecstatic."

She added: "Today was better than winning Lotto ... we have her back. She was bright and bubbly with a radiant smile on her face, very pleased to see us all, fortunately she still remembers who most of us all are.

"What an amazing night it has been reunited with her, having her back with us again is truly a blessing.

Ms Ferris said due to her aunt's dementia she was unlikely to remember the traumatic experience, though the family were prepared for a bit of a scolding for the ensuing publicity.

The family thanked everyone who had followed the journey to find their relative.

"Words can't do justice to how grateful we are for the love and support you have all shown us from our friends and family but especially the help we have received from complete strangers. You are all amazing."

Tai Luxford had played tennis and had a hair appointment on the day she went missing.

She was seen leaving the Palmerston North suburb of Awapuni about 11am on Thursday.

She drove to Feilding and knocked on the door of Lynnaire Hickmott's mother's home about midday.

"She told me she was lost and that she was playing tennis," Ms Hickmott said. "She wanted to go back home to Palmerston North."

Ms Hickmott said Ms Luxford "didn't have a clue of the landmarks" when she tried to give her directions.

Concerned about the woman, Ms Hickmott got into her van and drove in front of her, directing her towards Palmerston North.

She pulled over just outside Feilding to give Ms Luxford her contact details but Ms Luxford drove off in the direction of Bulls.

Police said that at 12.30pm that day she used her Eftpos card to buy fuel at BP in Bulls, police said.

"Oh my gosh, that's the same lady. I felt absolutely sick," she said. "I just wish I had kept her with me."

Tai Luxford's son Ray Luxford told the Herald his mother took Ms Hickmott's pulling over "as goodbye and waved back to her".

"She had shocking disorientation," he said.

Because she suffers from dementia, Mr Luxford said she had only a couple of regular driving routes and otherwise wasn't allowed to use the car. "She's quite forgetful but she is quite a reasonable driver," he said.

TIMELINE

• 11am Thursday: Tai Luxford, 73, is seen leaving the Palmerston North suburb of Awapuni in her Subaru Hatchback• About midday: Drove to Fielding and knocked on the door of a woman's house to ask directions. Ms Luxford followed the woman in her car back toward Palmerston North but ended up driving off in the direction of Bulls.• 12.30pm: Ms Luxford used her Eftpos card to buy fuel at BP in Bulls and was not seen for another three days• 5.30pm Sunday: Farmer passing in his ute finds her on Okirae Rd in Fordell, east of Whanganui and about 86km from Awapuni